Article-loading apparatus



Nav. l1, 1958 w. o. slMPsoN Erm. 2,859,854

ARTICLE-LOADING APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1955 2 Sheetsheet 1 n Lf lMNM/,rms ai 5 W. QS/MAsaN 1 a, A'LmA/,v 4 :a

arf/iw Nov. 11, 1958 w. o. slMPsoN ErAL 2,859,354

ARTICLE-LOADING APPARATUS Filed June 29.- 1955 2 SheetsPSheet 2wsrf/17ans W O. $/MPso/l L. 57m /N Unite Sttcs ARTICLE-LOADING APPARATUSWarren U. Simpson and Frederick L. Strain, Indianapolis,

Ind., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application June 29, 1955, Serial No.518,784

10 Claims. (Cl. 198-26) This invention relates to article-loadingapparatus, and more particularly to devices for moving protector blocksfrom a chute into a dial.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus for gently grippingceramic protector blocks and moving the blocks into a dial of a machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for feedingprotector blocks to a loading station over a dial, gripping the top andbottom of each protector block and lowering the block while it is stillgripped into a socket in the dial.

An apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may includea pair of opposed grippers between which a protector block and a socketin a dial may be moved, after which the grippers grip the block and moveit into the socket.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from thefollowing detailed description of an apparatus forming a specificembodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the appended drawings,in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, top plan view of an apparatus formingone embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along line 2--2 of Fig.l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the apparatusshown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3,and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a protector block loaded by theapparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown therein amachine for testing cylindrical protector blocks 7 comprising ceramicbodies 8 carrying carbon rods 9. The machine includes a dial 10 havingsockets 11 therein for receiving the protector blocks 7 from a loader 12receiving the protector blocks from a chute 13 leading from a hopper(not shown). Ledges or projecting supports 14 at the bottom of eachsocket prevent the protector blocks from falling through the dial 10.The dial 10 is moved by a well known drive (not shown) step-bystep tolocate each socket 11 roughly at the loader 12, remain stationary whileone of the protector blocks 7 is positioned in the socket 11 by theloader 12 and then move again to move the next socket to the loader.

The loader 12 is mounted on a stationary plate 21 at the periphery ofthe dial 10, and includes a top frame 22 and a bottom frame 23 fixedrigidly to the plate 21 by cap screws 24. The frame 22 has a bore 28therein of a diameter just slightly larger than that of the protectorblocks, and a guideway 29 having bottom supports or ledges 30 etxendsfrom the chute 13 to the bore 28 so that the protector blocks 7 travelone at a time into the bore 28 from the guide, the blocks being urgedgently theretoward by well known means (not shown), such as, forexample, a vibrator vibrating the chute 13.

There is a slight play between the dial 10 and the step- 2,859,854Patented Nov. 11, i958 by-step drive (not shown) for the dial 10 so thateach socket 11 is positioned only roughly inalignment with the bore 28and a rod 35 aligned with the bore 28 and having a slot 36 for clearingthe retaining ledges 14. After the dial 10 has been stopped with anempty socket 11 approximately directly below the bore 28, an actuatingplate 37 is raised to swing a lever 38 on a lxed pin 39 in acounterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2. This swings a lever 40through a pin 41 counterclockwise about a pin 42 heldin a slot 43 in theframe 23 by tension springs 44. The lever 40 pushes the rod 35 upwardlyin fixed guide arms 45 and 46 against the action of a compression spring47 seated between the arm 46 and a collar 48 pinned to the rod 35. 'Iherod 35 is pushed up into the socket 11, a tapered nose portion 49 of therod 35 entering the socket 11 lirst, and the rod 35 moves the dial 10,if necessary, to center the Socket 11 below the bore 28. The rod 3Sengages the protector block l in the bore 28, and pushes it against around nose 50 of a spring-pressed plunger 51, which slightly enters theupper end of the ceramic body 8 of the protector block. The rod 35 andthe plunger 51 grip the protector block with the force of a compressionspring 52 in a guide 53 mounted on an arm 54 and urging the plunger 51downwardly. Downward movement of the plunger 51 is limited by a pin 55on the guide 53 projecting into a slot 57 in the plunger 51. Anextension 58 of the pin 55 permits the pin 55 to be moved upwardlymanually. The arm 54 is fastened rigidly to a mounting rod 59 normallyurged upwardly by a spring 60 and mounted slidably in bores 61, 62and.63 in the frame 22, an arm 65 and the arm 46, respectively. Upwardmovement of the rod 59 is limited by a tapped collar 64 mountedadjustably on a threaded end portion 67 of the rod 59 and secured indesired position by a set screw 66.

As the rod 35 is raised, it raises the arm 65 pinned thereto andslidable on the rod 59, and, as the rod 35 and the plunger 51 grip theprotector block, the arm 65 is moved completely above a guideway 72 inthe plunger 59. Then springs 73 seated in sockets 74 and 75 in U- shapedlocks 76 push the ends of the locks 76 under the arm 65. Then the plate37 is lowered, and the spring 47, which is stronger than the spring 60,pushes the rod 35, the rod 59 and the plunger 51 downwardly to seat theprotector block 7 in the socket 11 against the ledges 14, the rod 59being locked against upward movement relative to the rod 35 by the locks76 projecting under the arm 65.

Before the protector block 7 is seated in the socket 11. an actuatingrod 81 slidable in a bore 82 in the rod 59 engages an adjustment screw83 on the arm 45, and is held against further downward movement with`the rod 59. The rod 59 continues downwardly, and inclined cam faces 84on the rod 81 engage inclined faces 85 on the locks 76 and pull thelocks 76 completely into the guideway 72 to release the rod 59 from thearm 65. The rod 59 then is moved back up to its initial or startingposition by the spring 60, the rod 35 is lowered further to its startingposition, and the dial 10 is stepped to move the loaded protector blockout of the loader 12 and an empty socket into the loader for loading.

The above-described loader grips each protector block gently and movesit into one of the sockets by the gentle pressure of the spring 52.Also, in case a socket 11 is moved to the loader 12 with a previouslyloaded protector block therein, crushing of the blocks 7 is prevented bythe springs 44 permitting the pin 42 to move down in the slot 43. Sincethe nose of the plunger 51 is rounded and each ceramic body 8 isgenerally tubular, the body centers` itself on the plunger as theprotector block is pushed upwardly by the rod 35, in case the protectorblock had been slightly cocked in the bore 28.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangel ments aresimply illustrative of the application of the principles of theinvention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by thoseskilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention andfall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. An article-loading apparatus, which comprises a carrier having a holetherethrough, a pair of gripping elements positioned on opposite sidesof the carrier, means for actuating the carrier to move the hole intoalignment with said gripping elements, means for moving one of saidgripping elements through the hole to grip an article with the othergripping element, means operated by the moving gripping elements forlocking the gripping elements together, means for moving the lockedgripping elements toward the hole to move the article into the hole, andmeans for unlocking the gripping elements upon movement of the articleinto the hole.

2. An article-loading apparatus, which comprises a pair of grippingelements, a carrier having a hole therethrough, means for moving thecarrier to advance the hole between the gripping elements, means forfeeding an article to a position between the elements at one end of thehole, means for moving a first of said gripping elements through thehole to grip an article with the other gripping element, means actuatedby the movement of the first gripping element for locking said grippingelements together, means for moving the gripping elcments together tomove the article into the hole, and means actuated by the secondgripping element for releasing the locking means.

3. In an apparatus having a carrier provided with a socket extendingtherethrough, a transfer device comprising a guide positioned adjacentto the carrier for guiding an article into the socket, a plungerpositioned above the bore, a gripping member movable through the socketto grip the article with the plunger, a resiliently biased latchactuated by the movement of the gripping member for latching the plungerto the gripping member, means for moving the plunger toward the socketand the gripping member therewith to move the article into the socket,cam means mounted in the plunger for releasing the latch, and meansrendered effective by movement of the plunger for operating the cammeans to release the latch.

4. In an apparatus having a dial provided with a socket extendingtherethrough, a transfer device comprising a guide positioned above thedial and having a bore aligned with the socket in the dial and aguideway for guiding a cylindrical article laterally into the bore, aplunger positioned above the bore, an actuating rod having an armthereon carrying the plunger and mounted vertically and urged upwardly,a gripping rod mounted below the dial in alignment with the plunger, anarm carried by the gripping rod and slidable on the actuating rod, meansfor moving the gripping rod into the socket toward the plunger to gripan article therebetween,v latching means carried by the actuating rodand the arm carried by the gripping rod for locking the actuating rod tothe gripping rod, means for lowering the gripping rod to move theactuating rod and the plunger therewith so as to load an article in thesocket, and means for releasing the latching means after the article hasbeen loaded in the socket.

5. In an apparatus having a dial provided with a socket extendingtherethrough, a transfer device comprising a guide positioned above thedial and having a bore aligned with the socket in the dial and aguideway for guiding a cylindrical article laterally into the bore, aplunger positioned above the bore, an actuating rod mounted verticallyand having an arm thereon carrying the plunger and urged upwardly, saidrod also having a bore in the lower end thereof and a transverse slottherein, a gripping rod mounted below the dial in alignment with theplunger, an arm carried by the gripping rod and slidable on theactuating rod, means for moving the gripping rod into the socket towardthe plunger to grip an article therebetween, a latch carried in the slotin the actuating rod and movable when the arm is moved up the actuatingrod for locking the actuating rod to the gripping rod, means forlowering the gripping rod to move the actuating rod and the plungertherewith so as to load an article in the socket, and means movable inthe bore for actuating the latch to release the actuating rod from thegripping rod after the article has been loaded in the socket.

6. A protector block processing machine, which comprises an arcuateplate mounted in a fixed horizontal position, a dial having socketsextending therethrough and rotatable step-by-step past the plate, amember fixed to the plate in a position extending over the path of thesockets and having a bo-re aligned with each socket as that socket isstopped thereunder in the stepping of the dial, said member having aguideway extending laterally into the bottom portion o-f the bore forguiding a tubular article laterally into the bottom portion of the bore,an actuator rod mounted vertically and slidably on the plate, aspring-pressed plunger carried by the actuator rod in a position offsetfrom the rod and extending into the bore, means urging the rod upwardlyto a position in which the plunger does not extend into the lowerportion of the bore, a gripping rod mounted vertically in a positionbelow the dial and aligned with the plunger, means for moving thegripping rod upwardly through one of the sockets to press an article inthe lower end of the bore against the plunger, means for lowering thegripping rod, means for latching the actuator rod to the gripping rodwhile the gripping rod is lowered through the socket, and means forrendering the latching means inoperative when the article has beenplaced in the socket.

7. A protector block processing machine, which comprises an arcuateplate mounted in a fixed horizontal position, a dial having socketsextending therethrough and rotatable step-by-step past the plate, amember fixed to the plate in a position extending over the path of thesockets and having a bore aligned with each socket as that socket isstopped thereunder in the stepping of the dial, said member having aguideway extending laterally into the bottom portion of the bore forguiding a tubular article laterally into the bore, an actuator rodhaving a bore therein and a lateral slot extending from the bore, saidactuator rod being mounted vertically and slidably on the plate, aspring-pressed plunger carried by the actuator rod in a position offsetfrom the rod and extending into the bore, means urging the rod upwardlyto a position in which the plunger does not extend into the lowerportion of the bore, a gripping rod mounted vertically in a positionbelow the dial and aligned with the plunger, means for moving thegripping rod upwardly through one of the sockets to press an article inthe lower end of the bore against the plunger, means for lowering thegripping rod, a cam plate slidable in the slot in the actuator rod forlatching the actuator rod to the arm carried by the gripping rod whilethe gripping rod is lowered through the socket, a release pin carried inthe -bore in the actuator rod, and a stop for actuating the release pinto withdraw the cam plate from latching position when the article hasbeen placed in the socket.

8. In an apparatus for transferring articles to a carrier wherein thecarrier is provided with facilities for receiving the articles, a firstgripping means positioned in register with one of said receivingfacilities, a second gripping means positioned in alignment with andspaced from said first gripping means on the opposite side of saidarticle receiving facility, means for moving said first gripping meanstoward and away from said receiving facility, means actuated by saidfirst gripping means moving toward said receiving facility for latchingsaid second gripping means to said first gripping means, and

means actuated by the movement of said second gripping means forreleasing said latching means.

9. An article-loading apparatus, comprising a first `movably mountedarticle gripping member, a second movably mounted gripping member spacedfrom and positioned to be engaged by the first gripping member, aspring-biased latch connected to said second gripping member and adaptedto latch the second gripping member for movement with the first grippingmember, means mounted on the first gripping member for holding saidlatch from the latching position, means for imparting a reciprocatorymovement to said first gripping member whereby said latch is released tohold the gripping members together as the gripping members are returnedto the initial position, and means for restoring said latch uponmovement of the gripping members into the initial position.

10. An article-loading apparatus, comprising a first slidably mountedarticle gripping member, a second slidably mounted article grippingmember spaced from the first gripping member and adapted to be engagedby an article moved by said first gripping member, means for moving saidfirst gripping member toward and away from said second gripping member,a spring-biased latch connected to said second gripping member, aholding means connected to said first gripping member for holding thelatch from a latching position and permitting release of the latch uponmovement of the first gripping member toward the second gripping memberwhereby movement of the first member toward the initial position causessaid latch to advance the second member with the first, and means forrestoring the latch to the initial position upon movement of the firstmember into the initial position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,911,650 Smith May 30, 1933 Bergstrand Nov. 20, 1956

